• New LED ceiling panels have been installed in Royal Bolton Hospital’s plaster room
• Screens aim to create a calmer environment, particularly for neurodiverse children
• Project possible thanks to Our Bolton NHS Charity and St James’s Place Charitable Foundation funding

Brand new LED ceiling panels have been installed in Royal Bolton Hospital’s plaster room to create a calming environment for neurodiverse children.

The screens, which sit above each of the four bays, transform the space with themes that include drifting clouds, spring blossom and under the sea.

Hospital environments and having a plaster cast applied or removed can be a daunting and stressful experience, particularly for children with autistic spectrum conditions and other learning difficulties.

A colour-changing bubble wall panel has also been introduced to offer an intriguing focus to the room and can be adjusted to create the desired atmosphere for patients.

The new space aims to create a calmer environment that promotes inclusion and supports neurodiversity.

Sean Griffiths, who is a Plaster Room Technician at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, is passionate about creating clinical environments that are less intimidating and more inclusive.

Sean said:

It means a lot to get the ceiling and walls transformed in the plaster room as it helps our patients by putting them at ease and is a more pleasant environment for staff to work in.

“I am passionate about helping improve our department to help all patients, but epically neuro-diverse patients due to my son being on the autism spectrum, and I am always happy to support others.

The project is a follow-up to the sensory wall installed in the Orthopaedic department waiting room last year, designed to encourage children to explore different activities while they wait for an appointment.

Over 800 children with autistic spectrum conditions and learning difficulties receive treatment in the plaster room at Royal Bolton Hospital every year.

The project is anticipated to have an indirect benefit on parents and carers, NHS staff, and other patients:

• Reduced patient anxiety and distress on the first visit and at follow-up appointments
• A relaxed patient allows for optimal positioning of broken limbs in the cast, which aids recovery
• Reduced parental anxiety and stress during visits
• Increased staff morale and satisfaction as the Plaster Technicians are able to do what is required in a way that meets the needs of patients

Our Bolton NHS Charity and a grant from St. James’s Place Charitable Foundation funded the ceiling tiles. Sarah Skinner, Charity Manager of Our Bolton NHS Charity, said:

We’re so pleased to have been able to collaborate with St James’s Place Charitable Foundation to make a really positive change for hundreds of children who use this service every single year.

“We want every child and adult who comes through the doors of the hospital to have the same access to great care, and it’s wonderful to know that these LED panels will go some way to creating a calmer space for those who need it.

“Our collective reach and impact is far greater when like-minded organisations work together to make a difference.

Kaye Price, from KP Financial Wellbeing and a partner at St. James’s Place, said:

The hospital provided lifesaving care for our daughter, who was born prematurely, so it seemed a perfect fit to support Our Bolton NHS charity.

“The SJP Charitable Foundation offer grants to local communities and we were really pleased to help fund this amazing work.

For more information about Our Bolton NHS Charity, please visit our website.